This Pumpkin Spice Apple Galette is one of my favorite easy fall desserts. Thinly sliced apples are tossed with maple syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon, then wrapped in flaky puff pastry and baked until golden brown.
As a cookbook author and professional recipe developer, I love a dessert that looks impressive but is actually incredibly simple to make. Using store-bought puff pastry gives you those beautiful, buttery layers without making pie dough from scratch, and the whole apple galette comes together in about 45 minutes.
I originally created this recipe after an apple-picking trip in Doylestown, Ohio when I came home with way more apples than I knew what to do with. Years later, I still love this recipe because it's exactly the kind of fall dessert I want to make: warm, cozy, full of apple and maple flavor, and easy enough to throw together without spending all afternoon baking.
If you're looking for more fall recipes, try my Browned Butter Sour Cream Crumb Cake, Pomegranate Poached Pears, or 5 Ingredient Apple and White Cheddar Tart next.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for serving warm. Add a little maple syrup at the end, or serve it with vanilla ice cream for an easy dessert.
- Easy but impressive. Puff pastry makes this apple galette incredibly simple, but it still looks beautiful enough for entertaining.
- Full of fall flavor. Apples, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and brown sugar give the filling the perfect warm and cozy flavor.
- No pie crust required. There's no chilling, rolling homemade dough, or crimping a crust.
- Ready in 45 minutes. This is a great option when you want a homemade fall dessert without a big baking project.
What Is a Galette?
A galette is a rustic, free-form tart made by arranging a filling in the center of pastry and folding the edges of the dough over it.
Unlike a traditional apple pie, there's no pie dish and no top crust. The relaxed shape is part of what makes a galette so easy. It doesn't have to look perfect!
For this version, I'm using puff pastry instead of traditional pie dough. It bakes up light, flaky, and golden brown around the tender spiced apples.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need for this easy pumpkin spice apple galette.
- Puff pastry:Â Store-bought puff pastry is my favorite shortcut here. Make sure it's thawed according to the package directions before you begin.
- Apples:Â Thinly sliced apples soften as the galette bakes while still holding their shape. You'll need about three medium apples.
- Brown sugar:Â Adds sweetness and a little caramel-like flavor to the apples.
- Maple syrup:Â Maple syrup pairs so well with the apples and warm spices. We'll also drizzle a little over the finished galette.
- Lemon juice:Â A little fresh lemon juice brightens the filling and balances the sweetness.
- Pumpkin pie spice:Â This gives the apple filling that warm fall flavor without needing several individual spices.
- Cinnamon:Â I like adding extra cinnamon along with the pumpkin pie spice because it pairs so naturally with apples.
- Vanilla:Â Adds warmth and rounds out the filling.
- Flour:Â A tablespoon of flour helps absorb some of the juices released by the apples while they bake.
- Kosher salt:Â Just a little salt balances all of the sweet flavors.
- Egg and water:Â These are whisked together to make an egg wash for the pastry so it bakes up beautifully golden.
- Turbinado sugar:Â This is optional, but I love the crunchy, sparkling finish it gives the edges of the pastry. You can also use brown sugar as an alternative.
How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Apple Galette
Prepare the puff pastry
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold the thawed puff pastry onto the baking sheet and gently roll it out slightly.
Make the apple filling
Add the sliced apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, flour, and salt to a large bowl. Toss well until all of the apples are evenly coated.
Assemble
Arrange the apples in the center of the puff pastry, leaving about a 1 ½-inch border around the edges. Fold the pastry inward over the edges of the apples, overlapping the pastry slightly as needed.
Bake
Whisk the egg with one tablespoon of water, then brush it over the exposed puff pastry. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if using. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden and the apples are tender.
Best Apples for an Apple Galette
- I recommend choosing an apple that will soften in the oven but won't completely fall apart as it bakes.
- Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Fuji, and Granny Smith are all good options. You can also use a combination of sweet and tart apples if you have a few different varieties on hand.
- The most important thing is slicing the apples fairly thin and keeping the slices relatively even. This helps them cook at the same rate.
Tina's Top Tips for the Best Puff Pastry Apple Galette
- Keep the puff pastry cold. Puff pastry creates its flaky layers when the cold butter in the dough hits the hot oven. If your pastry gets very soft while you're working, pop the assembled galette in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking.
- Slice the apples evenly. Very thick slices may still be firm by the time the pastry is finished baking.
- Don't skip the flour. Apples naturally release liquid as they cook, and the flour helps keep that liquid from making the bottom of the pastry soggy.
- Leave a border. Give yourself about 1 ½ inches around the apples so there's enough puff pastry to fold over the filling.
- Bake until deeply golden. You want the pastry to look fully puffed and golden brown rather than pale. This ensures the bottom is properly baked too.
Substitutions and Variations
- There are a few easy ways to change up this apple galette.
- For extra texture, sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the apples before baking.
- You can also add a small handful of dried cranberries to the apple mixture for another fall flavor.
- Instead of pumpkin pie spice, use a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a tiny pinch of cloves.
- For even more maple flavor, serve each slice with an additional light drizzle of pure maple syrup.
- And if you're serving this for dessert, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is always a good idea.
How to Serve Apple Galette
- I love this apple galette served slightly warm, when the puff pastry is still flaky and the apples are soft and fragrant.
- It's delicious on its own with the maple syrup drizzle, but you can also serve it with vanilla ice cream, freshly whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
- This would be especially good for a casual fall dinner party, Thanksgiving dessert table, or weekend baking project when you want something seasonal without making an entire apple pie.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For the best texture, reheat individual slices in a 350°F oven or toaster oven until warmed through. The microwave will work in a pinch, but the puff pastry won't stay quite as crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. You can leave the apple skins on, especially if you're slicing the apples thinly. If you prefer a softer filling without any texture from the skins, you can peel them first.
Too much liquid in the filling or underbaked puff pastry can cause a soggy galette. Tossing the apples with flour, keeping the pastry cold, and baking until the crust is deeply golden will help.
Yes. Most store-bought puff pastry is sold frozen. Just thaw it according to the package directions before assembling the galette.
Pumpkin Spice Apple Galette
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed according to package directions
- 3 medium apples thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 medium egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold the puff pastry onto the prepared baking sheet and gently roll it out slightly.
- Make the apple filling. In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, flour, and salt. Toss until the apples are evenly coated.
- Assemble the galette. Arrange the apples in the center of the puff pastry, leaving about a 1 ½-inch border around the edges. Fold the pastry edges inward over the apples, overlapping slightly as needed.
- Add the egg wash. Whisk together the egg and water. Brush the exposed pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if using.
- Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden brown and the apples are tender.
- Serve. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then drizzle lightly with maple syrup. Serve warm.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment below or tag us @tasting.with.tina on Instagram!
Kay says
Love working with puff pastry, always makes for a great dish! This worked out perfectly, we don't have pumpkin pie spice in UK so I made my own using cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg,allspice and ground cloves.
Worked out great, so delicious!
Tasting With Tina says
Love it! That sounds amazing!
Faith says
Yum and what a fun day doing all the fall things! I have never tried it with puff pastry...what an easy way to make it! We are from Ohio, our family still lives there...beautiful state. Go Bucks!
Tasting With Tina says
Puff pastry makes it SO easy! And I love it, Go Bucks!
Sara says
This sounds delicious and so perfect for fall! Thanks for sharing!
Tasting With Tina says
It really is perfect for fall!
Amanda Marie Boyle says
I love using the puff pastry crust. An easy alternative to pie crust for a sweet treat.
Tasting With Tina says
I totally agree! It makes it so much easier!
Natalie says
Such delicious flavors. I absolutely love this galette. I can't wait to make this and enjoy it with a cup of tea.
Tasting With Tina says
I'm so glad you liked it!